Detour set to begin next week on Route 17 Business

Traffic on southbound Route 17 Business (Main Street) in Gloucester will be detoured beginning Tuesday so work can progress to replace a bridge over Fox Mill Run, according to a release from the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Traffic on northbound Route 17 Business (Main Street) will also be affected by the detour. A precise date and time for the detour to begin will be announced as soon as it is available, the release stated.

When the detour is in place, northbound and southbound traffic on Route 17 Business will narrow to one travel lane in each direction at Fox Mill Run.

Both directions of traffic will cross Fox Mill Run on the northbound bridge, with one travel lane in each direction.

Motorists are encouraged to remain alert for new pavement markings and signs in the work zone.

Construction is expected to conclude in November.

When complete, the new bridge will meet modern bridge design standards set by state and federal agencies. The bridge will have wider travel lanes and shoulders to accommodate the projected growth in traffic volumes for Gloucester over the next quarter-century.

The existing bridge over Fox Mill Run was built in 1917. It has a posted weight limit of 27 tons for single-unit trucks, and 40 tons for tractor-trailers.